Within circuit breakers, one or more moveable electrical contacts may be provided. Such electrical contacts, in some circuit breaker configurations, may be electrically coupled by one or more flexible conductors to a heater-bimetal assembly. The heater-bimetal assembly functions to trip the circuit breaker when a persistent over-current situation is encountered in the electrical circuit protected by the circuit breaker. Tripping involves resistive heating of a heating element, which, in turn, heats a bimetal element thereby causing bending of a bimetal element. Upon bending, the bimetal element makes engaging contact with a portion of a trip mechanism, and if sufficient heating is present will resultantly trip the circuit breaker. This opens the electrical contacts thereby opening the protected circuit.
However, existing heater-bimetal assembly designs can create inconsistencies in the performance of the circuit breaker.